Minimally-invasive surgery (MIS), such as laparoscopic surgery, involves techniques intended to reduce tissue damage during a surgical procedure. For instance, laparoscopic procedures typically involve creating a number of small incisions in the patient (e.g., in the abdomen), and introducing one or more tools and at least one camera through the incisions into the patient. The surgical procedures are then performed by using the introduced instruments, with the visualization aid provided by the camera.
Generally, MIS provides multiple benefits, such as reduced patient scarring, less patient pain, shorter patient recovery periods, and lower medical treatment costs associated with patient recovery. However, standard MIS systems have a number of drawbacks. For example, non-robotic MIS systems place higher demands on the surgeon, in part because they require surgeons to indirectly manipulate tissue via tools in a manner that may not be natural. Conventional robotic systems, which may include robotic arms for manipulating tools based on commands from an operator, may provide many benefits of MIS while reducing demands on the surgeon. However, such robotic arms tend to be large and difficult to set up and manage. Additionally, many conventional robotic arms have a significantly limited number of arm configurations such that they restrict accessibility to internal organs in the body. Thus, it is desirable to have robotic arms for robotic-assisted surgical systems that are easier to use and present more clinical options for a greater variety of procedures and patient types.